Blog
by WREN Staff on Nov 4, 2022
We need YOUR phone call —and your power as a constituent—as the Senate returns to take up abortion legislation on the morning of November 9. Thousands of South Carolinians raised their voice in opposition— and hundreds packed the State House. Nevertheless, SC Senators will take up H.5399 on November 9. South Carolina already has an extreme
Health and Education, Policy Updates
by Ashley Lidow on Oct 24, 2022
After months of protests and objections by health care providers, advocates, and the majority of South Carolinians, the South Carolina Legislature is still pushing to pass H.5399. On Tuesday, October 18, the Senate voted to “insist” on their version of H.5399. Now the bill will be sent to a conference committee made up of 3
Economic Opportunity, Health and Education, News, Policy Updates
by Brandi Ellison on Jun 29, 2022
House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Abortion is meeting on Thursday, July 7, 2022. The South Carolina House of Representatives has put together a special Ad Hoc Committee to consider NEW legislation related to the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion. This Committee has set its first meeting date to hear from the public. This
Economic Opportunity, Freedom from Violence, Gender Justice, Health and Education, News
by Ann Warner on Jun 24, 2022
WREN denounces the decision issued June 24, 2022 by the United States Supreme Court on the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, overturning Roe v Wade and eliminating the constitutional right to abortion. This decision is an assault on our health, our dignity, and our rights. It will take time to realize the full
Economic Opportunity, Gender Justice, Health and Education, News, Policy Updates
by Ann Warner on May 3, 2022
WREN is outraged by the alleged draft majority opinion from the United States Supreme Court on the Mississippi abortion case that was leaked in the news on May 2nd. We condemn any decision by the Supreme Court that would threaten the rights to abortion care that have been the law of the land for 50 years.
Gender Justice, Health and Education, Policy Updates
by Ann Warner on May 2, 2022
The following Op-Ed appeared in the Post and Courier on Sunday May 1, 2022: In the past two years, the S.C. General Assembly has ushered in a wave of legislation that discriminates against people in the LGBTQ+ community. One of the most egregious examples of this is H.4608, the so-called “Save Women’s Sports Act,” which seeks
Gender Justice, Health and Education, News
by WREN Staff on Apr 27, 2022
SOUTH CAROLINA– Today, anti-abortion politicians in the House voted to pass a new medication abortion misinformation bill (H. 4568). In response, Ann Warner, CEO of the South Carolina Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN) has released the following statement: “This bill is the latest in anti-abortion politicians’ attack on our freedoms and health. If it
Advocate Stories, Gender Justice, Health and Education, News
by Advocacy Team on Apr 21, 2022
Take Action TODAY Against Anti-Trans Bills The SC House recently passed H.4608, a bill that would prohibit transgender students from participating in student sports. To categorically deny transgender students the freedom to play alongside their peers is completely at odds with lawmakers’ duties to care for and protect our youth. Click the following link to
Gender Justice, Health and Education
by WREN Staff on Apr 19, 2022
Statement as presented to Subcommittee I Health and Environmental Affairs on April 20, 2022 Thank you, Chairman Hart, and members of the subcommittee, for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Ashley Lidow and I am the Director of Policy and Government Relations for the Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN), a nonpartisan, nonprofit
by SC Pro Truth Coalition on Apr 1, 2022
COLUMBIA, SC— The South Carolina Pro-Truth in Ed Coalition will host a press conference at the African-American History Monument at the statehouse this Saturday, April 2 at 11 AM. Members of the SC House of Representatives have fast-tracked a new committee bill that would censor the teaching of truthful history in SC classrooms without giving
Now is the time to invest in South Carolina’s women, girls, and families. We need people like you joining the movement, speaking out, and leading the way toward positive change.